Choosing Divergnt
by PunkPinkJesusFreak
Summary: Olivia Johnson was factionless born. She could be whoever she wanted to be, kiss whoever she wanted to kiss, go wherever she wanted to go, do whatever she wanted to do. Yet nothing sounded more horrible.
1. Chapter 1

Factionless use to be a title worn with shame, for those who slipped through the cracks of the faction system.  
However as the years went on many kids started to be born apart from the faction system.  
Soon being factionless was no longer thought of as being rejected by the system but as a group of people rejecting the system.  
Our motto is "Blood above Faction." more specifically our own blood. It's the idea of putting ourselves and our own ideals of what we want in life rising above the system.

Never before has anyone transferred out of factionless. It's either because I'm the only one that's wanted to, or anyone that has knew that they'd risk eternal resentment from their families. My parents, John and Evelyn Johnson, are looked to as the leader of this rebellion and I am looked at by every kid as the example of rebellious.

Only I didn't choose this life, I was born into it. So far I've spent my days faking a disobedient attitude because honestly there's no life outside of this for me. Even if I did get into a faction like Dauntless everybody back here would know that for sixteen years I was just acting. Well, I am but if my parents found out they'd most likely disown me.

"Hey look I'm a Dantless." I said hanging upside down by a fire escape.  
The factionless don't have houses we have alleyways and each individual family crouches by a certain space by a wall. It's not so bad. Abnegation gives us all the food and clothes we need.

I'm supposed to resent them.  
I'm supposed to think of them as self-righteous bone-heads but I don't. I don't see anything wrong with wanting to help people. Without Abnegation the factionless wouldn't even be a community we would just be naked people who you could count on one hand because after a week on our own we'd starved to death.

I'm not supposed to be grateful to them though, so I act like I'm not.

I tucked some of my dress into the leggings they gave me as I hung upside down. I could feel some of the dirty looks they were giving me and I tried to brush them off with a forced laugh. I got down and stood next to my friend Jack. I didn't un-tuck my dress because I knew if I did it might be mistaken for being considerate.

"Hey look, I'm Erudite." Jack said touching his chin and reading a sign on the wall that had our group of friends cracking up laughing.  
"I've got one." I said noticing an Abnegation coming toward us with food. _Time for another show._ "Someone walks into the doctor's office to receive a check up and the doctor tells her, everything is fine except there's an incredibly large stick up your butt. But the person says 'Oh! Keep it there!' What faction?" I asked.  
They all yelled "ABNIEGATION!" and then started howling with laughter.  
We were interrupted by sound of someone clearing their throat. It was the Abnegation I saw only upon closer inspection he was a teenage boy who I had seen around before. He had brown eyes that kind of reminded me of my own.  
He held a tray of food and he looked so mad; so mad that I had to be obnoxious in order to keep myself from feeling bad.

"Gee thanks Stiff." I said sarcastically grabbing a bowl from the tray. "This looks so appetizing I might just swallow it this time." My friends snickered. The boy was quiet as they took their food. Once they did he was walking away.  
"Hey Stiff!" Jack called, the boy turned around slowly. "Want a tip?" Then Jack spat in his direction.

The action made my eyes shoot open and my hand go to my mouth. Then when the others started laughing I remembered that I should be too. So I laughed loudly. The boy just turned back around and walked away.

I had never seen someone react so calmly to such a degree of disrespect. And even after that incident no one was reported to the authorities, and Abnegation came back the next day with smiles on their faces as they gave us food and sweaters for the chilly weather.

That's when I knew for a fact that the faction systems were not what I was taught they were; and thus far Abnegation has earned my respect.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't like going to new places and being in new situations because it only means I needed to pretend to more people. Meaning I dread testing day with my entire being.  
"A fruit fly could tell me I'd get Dauntless so why waste a walk going to validate it." I complained, half acting but half voicing my true frustration.  
I silently hoped that my parent's petition for factionless teens to skip the test would get approved. It didn't; meaning all the factionless teens stand in a line for hours getting more irritable by the minute.  
I was dead in the middle of the line faking boredom; which consisted of exaggerated eye rolls, and obnoxious groans as I sat on the floor, my back leaned up against the wall.  
"Olivia Johnson." I looked in the direction of where my voice was called. My hands clenched the dark gray sweater I was wearing. I then smirked at the relieved and annoyed teens around me.  
"This won't take long." I breathed then walked into the room. I saw a woman who was wearing black, touching a machine. Her back was to me. _Dauntless_. I assumed then turned to the mirror pretending to fix my hair. Pretending to look at myself. I heard her clear her throat.  
"Are you done?" I felt a shiver run down my spine and nerves fill my stomach. But let out a chuckle and looked at her reflection.  
"Why bother? It's not like I'm going into a faction anyway. It's a waste of a test really." I said crossing my arms.  
"I couldn't agree with you more." She said. That surprised me. "But it's a required waste of a test." I forced myself to roll my eyes.  
"Fine." I said turning my heel. "Let's get this over with." I picked up a small cup from the table she stood in front of. "I drink this, right?" she quickly took it away from me.  
"Sit down." she ordered. I shrugged and took as seat leaning back in the chair. She gave me the cup. I raised my eye brows.  
"Really-?"  
"Just shut up and drink."  
"Someone's on a power trip." I muttered before drinking up the liquid. She took it from me and went over to look at her machine.  
"I really hope all the factionless aren't like you." That was the last thing I heard before everything became fuzzy and I found myself underwater.  
I looked up seeing a light, I tried swimming towards it only my feet were caught in some kind of kelp. I tried pulling my feet out but the more I struggled the more I was caught. I could feel myself running out of air. I looked up again to see two things drop into the water one was a knife and another was a slab of meat.  
I watched the knife carefully as it sunk closer towards me. I grabbed it and cut myself loose. I looked up and started swimming towards the surface.  
Once I did I took in a deep breath of air as I climbed onto dry land. As I caught my breath I looked around to see that I was in the middle of a jungle with tall grass and taller trees with low branches. I stood up and looking around my eyes landed on a lioness crouching down in the grass. It growled a low growl and her eyes were fixated on me.  
I realized I had the knife still in my hands and dropped it. Upon hearing the thud of it hitting the ground the lioness growled and started running towards me. I quickly ran towards a tree and started climbing until I was high above the ground. The lioness pawed at the trunk of the tree and roared up at me.  
It stalked around for what seemed like hours before it finally walked away. I stayed in the tree looking at nothing really until a girl came up from out of the water. She wore blue clothes, had red hair, and even from a distance I could tell she looked just like me. Suddenly her eyes met mine.  
"I know you're up there." I didn't move. "Please. I'm hungry." She said tears welling up in her eyes. I looked at her face for a moment. It wasn't like we had the same features or anything. Her chin was pointier, her nose was smaller, her eyes were bigger and a completely different color. Yet she looked exactly like me.  
I looked around and for the first time saw apples around me in the tree I was in. I plucked one from the branch and tossed it in her direction. She tried catching it but it fell into the water behind her. I sighed.  
Grabbing another apple I put it in the pocket of my sweater and carefully climbed down. After I was on the ground I walked up to her and pulled the apple out of my pocket giving it to her. She smiled, that's when I heard the thundering roar of the lioness.  
I turned back to see it charge then quickly covered the girls mouth before taking a deep breath of my own and pulling us both into the waters.  
My eyes shot open and I was back in the testing room. I breathed in and out a few times thankful to be alive and nowhere near water.  
I quickly sat up from the chair I sat in.  
"Are we done? Great." I said not waiting for an answer. I got up from the chair and walked in the direction of the exit.  
"Don't want to know your result?" she asked. I kept walking but made sure to put a smirk back on my face.  
"Why, so we can talk about bravery and braid each other's hair?" I said shooting her a smug look as I opened the door.  
"You know for an Abnegation you're a piece of work." I stopped dead in my tracks. Then looked back at her.  
"Abnigation?" Now it was her turn to smirk. She shrugged as she cleaned up for the next test taker.  
"I know, I definitely wouldn't have pegged you for that one." I walked out of the room. The nervousness that I had felt before was nothing compared to the confusion and unsettling feeling I had in my stomach now.  
"Hey Olivia!" I looked up to see Jack still waiting in line. "What'd you get?" _Fake it._ I told myself as my signature smirk took over my lips.  
"Wouldn't you like to know?"  
"C'mon!" Jack pleaded at which I rolled my eyes.  
"Please, by now I've already forgotten." I lied looking over all the factionless teens and giving some high fives "Besides, what does it matter anyway?!" I raised my fist in the air as I walked toward the alley. "Blood above-"  
"FACTION!" the rest chanted.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't remember waking up the morning of the choosing ceremony.  
I don't remember getting dressed or walking to where Abnegation would hold every sixteen year old in the city.  
I don't remember standing in a long line according to the alphabet and being somewhere in the center again.  
I don't remember every factionless-born teen spilling their blood onto the floor rather than in a bowl.

But all these things must have happened, because if they didn't then I wouldn't be walking into the middle of it all. Where in front of Marcus there are five bowls and in front of those is a pool of blood.  
I remember when I was twelve and learning about the choosing ceremony telling my friend Jack that instead of spilling my blood in a bowl that I'd lick it and spit into the faction leader's face. The rumor spread around fast and it wouldn't surprise me if every factionless is sitting on the edge of their seat waiting for me to do it.  
And I could do it.  
As I stand in front of Marcus I realize how easy it would be. How easy it has always been for me to pretend to be hateful.

Then a thought comes to my mind that makes my blood run cold.  
 _It's easy because I am hateful._  
 _What's the definition of hateful again?_  
 _Someone who chooses to hate?_  
Marcus hands me a clean knife, handle first.  
 _That's me. Because every day I chose hate._  
I look at Marcus' face and notice how worn it looks. It's the color of cream and wrinkles sprout under his eyes and on his forehead. He doesn't look too old. Sure, he isn't young but he isn't so old that he should look this worn.  
 _If I spat in his face, I wonder if another wrinkle would appear._  
 _I wonder if it'd keep him up at night, and he'd wonder what he'd done to deserve something like that._

The answer would be nothing.  
I had never met him.  
He's never done anything to me that I should do something so aweful.

Marcus has blue eyes that dull against his grey clothes and they look at me with disgust. Which makes me wonder if he reads minds. Or if rumors could transcend factions.  
Or if he's already made up his mind about me because I am factionless.  
He already knows what I chose.

 _But I don't choose this._  
I take the knife from his hands.  
 _I_ did, _for sixteen years._  
 _I chose bitterness, violence, ignorance._  
 _But I don't choose that today because I don't want to be that anymore._  
I cut into my palm, possibly a bit deeper then I should have and stuck my hand out.  
 _I want to be happy._  
"Amity." Marcus said in a surprised voice that held the same affect on the entire room, including me.


	4. Chapter 4

After walking towards the Amity chairs I was aggressively embraced by an older looking man and five other girls before finding an open chair. Just over the peaceful claps I also heard my name being screamed out along with the word 'traitor'. I only stared at the cut in my hand.  
I know that if I look up my eyes will wander to the factionless section. And if I look there, I know I'll find my parents. Right now the last thing I want to do is find my parents.  
Someone softly tapped the side of my hand with an unopened band-aid. I muttered a thank you before putting it over the palm of my hand.  
"You're brave." The person next to me whispered. I looked up at her to find that she too was a transfer only she wore Erudite blue and she had red hair. My eyes widened slightly and I immediately recognized her as the girl from my simulation. "My name is Abigail."  
Walking out of the building among the cluster of red shirts, didn't feel real. I was convinced that at any moment now I'd wake up to my mom offering me scrambled eggs out of a soup can, and have to go out with my friends listening to them complain about the ceremony.  
Looking around I only saw people smiling and laughing with each other.  
 _At least this is a nice dream._  
I felt a hand grasp my arm and jerk it back. I was then face to face with Jack.  
"What was that?!" He demanded eyes full of rage. "Just what do you think you're doing?!"  
"I-i-" I never thought of what I would say to anyone if I left factionless.  
I never thought that I'd leave factionless.  
"If you ever think we'll let you come back to us, then you're crazy!" Jack said squeezing my arm. "You little-"  
"Hey!" A girl in a black dauntless t-shirt called. Neither of us knew who she was talking to until he pushed Jack back hard enough to make him let go of me. "Back off of her!"  
"Why don't you stay out of it?!"  
"You're not even supposed to be here anyway." A boy in a white Candor jacket spoke up.  
"Yeah, don't you have someone's garbage to dig through?!" The girl demanded. She had teased strawberry blonde hair that just reached passed her shoulders. I don't know if it was the fact that she was tall; or that the Candor boy was muscular; or the fact that they were both poised next to me that made Jack take a step back.  
"Coward." He spat before turning and going to disappear among the grey shirts.  
"Don't listen to him." The girl said rolling her eyes.  
"Their gonna leave us if we don't hurry." I muttered turning and looking for the mass of red but only seeing Abigail.  
"They went this way." She said pointing her thumb behind her awkwardly. "I saw what happened and wanted to make sure you didn't get lost." She had a soft voice so I had to strain to hear her.  
"We can catch up if we run." The dauntless girl said excitedly before breaking out into a sprint. The rest of us followed close behind.  
"You okay?" The Candor boy asked me. I didn't let myself think before I nodded my head yes. "He's not worth it if you ask me. The one's who care about you wouldn't act that way."  
As soon as he said that I thought of my parents and how I didn't even look to see how they reacted. After what he said, I'm sure I don't want to know.  
"My name's Carter by the way." He said. The dauntless girl began jogging backwards so that she could face us.  
"I'm Sammie."  
"A-abby" Abigail wheezed out from behind us. When we finally caught up they were boarding the city bus that would drive us to Amity headquarters.  
"It isn't every day a factionless transfers to a peaceful place like Amity." Carter said as we climbed up the steps.  
"Same can be said for Candor." Sammie spoke up. "Probably transferred because she wants a new start just like the rest of us. Just shut up. She doesn't feel like talking."  
I didn't say anything as I sat down and the three of them sat by me.  
It's not that I didn't appreciate them for what they did. I just feel speechless. Like there's nothing I could possible say that would describe what's on my mind, and even if there was I wonder if it would even make any sense.  
"Did both of you guys get Amity as your test result?" Abby asked Sammie and Carter as I leaned my head against the bus window watching the city pass by me.  
"Yeah."  
"Yup." Sammie said after Carter  
"Me too." Abby said sitting on her hands. As we drove farther away from the Hub the more I felt a huge weight being lifted off my chest.  
"I kinda expected it though." Sammie confessed "I mean, I never expected Amity, but I always knew I was different from my 'rents. I just didn't realize how different I was."  
"Yeah," Carter agreed "if you told me before the test that I'd chose Amity, I would've told you that you were crazy. I used to hate the idea of Amity but after I found out-"  
"I think that was like that for everyone." Sammie said and Abby nodded.  
"I didn't want to become an Amity before the test."  
"I did." I finally spoke up catching their attention. "Whenever I considered transferring I knew it'd be here."  
"You want a medal or something?" Another dauntless transfer said from across the aisle.  
"Stop talking like you were invited into this conversation, Nick." Sammie deadpanned. "It's like where ever I go jerks just show up."  
Nick rolled his eyes but didn't say anything else.  
I looked back through the front window just ahead of us where in the distance I could make out the shape of the fence. Suddenly I felt a smile tug at my face.  
 _'_ _She wants a new start'_ is what Sammie had said earlier.  
 _This is a new start_  
"You never told us your name." Abby said looking right at me. I gave her a genuine smile.  
"Joy."


	5. Chapter 5

When we first got to the Amity compound they lead us to a large meeting area even though there were very few of us. A woman stood at the base of a large tree in front of everyone.  
"Who is that?" I asked. Nick raised his eyebrows.  
"You serious?"  
"Johanna Reyes." Abby answered.  
" _That's_ Johanna Reyes?" I said in surprise. I had heard my parents talk about how passive and naive she was. But by looking at her, the scar across her eye she looked scary. Like she was going to pull a knife from behind her at any minute but could kill me with just her gaze if she wanted to.  
"Wow Joy, stare much?" Sammie asked with a slight chuckle.  
"What happened to her-" Joy started.  
"Wow, I thought only Candors did that." Carter interrupted. "She's disfigured not deaf."  
"Which means she can hear all of us genus." Sammie pointed out.  
I still bit my tongue. I knew that I needed to get out of the habit of saying the first thing to comes to my mind.  
"Do we just sit on the floor?" Abby whispered to me. Two Amity girls walked around us and took their seats on the floor. They gave us a glance then giggled to each other. Sammie mocked their faces with one of her own before giving a dangerous glare at the back of their heads and Nick in laughter.  
I was the first to sit down crossing my legs. Nick and Sammie then followed in suit, leaving Carter and Abby to awkwardly lower themselves to the ground.  
"Excuse me?" I looked up to see a blonde head bowing slightly. "Would it be alright if I sat by you?"  
 _Abnegation_ I thought without even needed to look at the shirt he wore.  
"Yeah. That's fine." I said but the very idea made me feel so guilty my chest hurt. Though this boy clearly wasn't the same one Jack had spat at, he reminded me of him.  
"My name's Robert." He said after he sat down and I got a good look at his grey eyes. He didn't shifted his gaze away and that's when I could tell he knew exactly who I was. "You're name is-"  
"I prefer Joy now."  
"Oh. That's nice." Was all he said.  
"Do they have walls anywhere?" Abby asked me again noting that where we were had only a wooden frame so you could look out and see nature and the entire compound.  
"You sure ask a lot of questions Erudite." Nick said leaning back on his hands.  
"I guess we'll just have to see when they give us the tour." Carter said in answer to her question.  
"I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't." Sammie said looking at her cuticles. "So they can stare at the forests all day."  
"Even in their rooms?" Abby asked.  
"Even in the bathrooms." I added in with a smile tugging on my lips. Everyone busted into a fit of laugher except Abby who had a look of horror on her face. After realizing that I made a joke she relaxed and began to laugh too. Robert only looked at us oddly.  
From the corner of my eye I saw Johanna raise her hands and slowly lowered them in response everyone's voices faded until it was near silent.  
"What just happened?" I asked in a voice that was a lot louder than I wanted it to be. There was a wave or giggles and glances in response. Robert shifted uncomfortably. Johanna's eyes locked with mine for a moment and she smiled.  
"I would like to welcome our thirteen initiates." Johanna paused and the Amity born surrounding us said collectively.  
"Thank you for welcoming us."  
"What the-?" I began and quickly covered by mouth. Carter silently laughed at me.  
"As our current members recall we did agree to the new terms set in place that only ten initiates will be accepted as members."  
My eyes widened and suddenly I heard whispers around me.  
Sammie: "When did that happen?!"  
Carter: "Why didn't they tell us this before?!"  
Abby: "I actually heard that they…"  
But I wasn't listening to what Abby was saying. All I was thinking about was that three of us wouldn't stay here.  
Sammie: "Where would the others even go?"  
Abby: "Most likely live factionless."  
Sammie: "Fad chance!"  
Nick: "It kind of makes sense."  
All of us looked at Nick in disbelief.  
"I mean, if you really belong here then you shouldn't have anything to worry about right?"  
I remembered that my aptitude test told me to choose Abnegation. Then I thought about going home. Jack's sneering face flashed into my mind along with the most disgusted look I could imagine my parents giving me. I pictured all of factionless shoving me away. Then I'd be standing in this place where I was all alone.  
That cannot be me.  
"I know this has come as a shock to you, and I apologize for the inconvenience."  
"We accept your apology." Amity-born said.  
I don't think I could ever get used to that.  
"You're initiation tests will be based off of the four basic principles of Amity. Self-Sufficiency, which will be where you learn the various tasks we perform here. Trust, forgiveness, and overall kindness."  
"How do you test kindness?" I heard Abby wonder to herself.  
"I entrust the Amity-born to show the transfers to where you will be staying. You may all explore the Amity compound and eat dinner at your leisure, just know that we will be starting tomorrow at four thirty sharp."  
Me: "Four thirty?!"  
Carter: "In the morning?!"  
Sammie: "Is that even possible?"  
Nick: "Is the sun even up?"  
Abby: "What is this, a farm? Wait. Oh."  
We were then dismissed.


	6. Chapter 6

"How do I look?" I heard Sammie ask.  
"Like an Amity?" Carter asked more than stated.  
I snickered as I turned the corner. After finding our rooms we decided that we'd get changed into to the clothes the Amity gave to us before exploring the compound.  
"You're such a guy!" Sammie said hitting Carter's shoulder. He furrowed his brow in confusion.  
"…I know…"

I remember when I was nine and first saw Amities.  
They were walking to the choosing ceremony and I thought they looked like the sunset behind a forest of trees.  
I never really saw much of either being in the cracks of the city. I would marvel at their smiles. They weren't like any others I'd ever seen before. Each one went to their eyes and lit up their entire face.  
I would practice in the mirror but never get it right.

"You look great." Carter said looking right at me.  
"Thanks-"  
"Don't thank him!" Sammie interrupted shooting him a glare. "How come you didn't say that to me?!"  
Carter didn't say anything. Nick laughed.  
"The clothes look more natural on her."  
Sammie rolled her eyes.  
"We can't all have torso for days."  
I blinked.  
"Torso for days? Who says that?"  
"Dauntless. Apparently."  
Abby crept into the conversation. Her clothes clearly two sizes too big.  
"They're so loose." She said while flailing the ends of her sleeves. I nodded. They fit like they were made to move in. Unlike the Abnegation clothes that were made to cover everything.  
Speaking of Abnegation.  
"Are we gonna go?" Carter asked.  
"What about Robert?" Abby spoke up.  
"Oh yeah. I forgot."  
"It's weird that he sat by me." I said out loud. "I mean, my family used to be horrible to Abnegations you'd think he'd avoid me at all cost."  
"Well, you're the only thing here that's familiar." Abby spoke up. "Even if it's only a little bit. During big change our first instinct is to go towards what's familiar. It's psychology."  
"You guys waited for me?" Robert asked. Our eyes locked on him. Robert was wearing a brown jacket over a brown shirt with brown pants, and brown shoes. He shifted nervously under our gaze. "What?"  
"Nothing." Sammie said quickly leading us down a corridor. Robert walked a little bit slower than the rest of us.  
"We should've told him." Carter muttered.  
"I get that Candors are all about honesty, but lying is a lot quicker." Sammie whispered  
"In the case that it helps the person!"  
Nick groaned.  
"They are just clothes. It's not that big a deal."  
"It's the principle!"  
I looked at Abby then behind my shoulder at Robert who looked at his shoes as he walked.  
I would walk like that I was twelve and when my mom saw me she straightened my back.  
'You need to walk like you're the tallest person in the world' she used to say.  
I looked around again and caught sight of an older woman.  
"One sec." I told Abby before. I walked up to the woman to ask her a question she smiled as she answered. I wonder if she ever needed practice. I was about to walk away when she called out to me.  
"Go with happiness!"  
"Um…Okay." I said with uncertainty. "Thank you?" I said but it was so unfamiliar that it came out as a question. She nodded and I took that as my cue to leave.  
As I walked I took Robert by his arm. I felt him noticeably tense under my touch as if I burned him.  
"S-sorry." I said before letting go. I then gestured in the direction of a small shop with my head. "C'mon."  
"Where are we going?"  
"To get you some more clothes." I said simply as I led them inside.  
"You could've said it gentler." Carter sighed.  
"It's the truth and it's quick. Everyone wins."  
"Why am I even here?" Nick deadpanned.  
"Can I help you?" A girl who looked to be about twenty asked  
"Men's clothes?"  
"Over on your left." She pointed then smiled. "My name's Teresa. You must be transfers."  
I nodded.  
"Yes. My name's Robert Black, I was in Abnegation." He said with a slight bow.  
"Well, that's nice." She said politely. "What about you?"  
Instead of answering Nick decided to wait outside of the shop.  
"My name's Carter Jeffery. I was a Candor."  
"Abigail Green. I'm from Erudite."  
"Sammie Arc. Dauntless."  
She looked at me expectantly.  
"I'm Joy." I said simply.  
"Well lucky for you, initiates get free clothes. If you have any questions just yell okay?" I nodded and went with Robert to look through racks of shirts.  
"What's wrong with what I have on?" Robert asked me.  
"You look…brown." I said honestly.  
"What's wrong with that?"  
"It doesn't help you fit in. You look like an Abnegation just with brown." I said then trying to explain as best as I could. "It's too much brown."  
"They're clothes."  
"That's what I said!" Nick called out from outside.  
"-besides, this is what they gave me to wear."  
"It is weird that they only gave us one set of clothes." Abby said.  
"It's part of initiate training." Teresa spoke up. We all looked at her curiously.  
"How?"  
"If you're put into a new situation with very little direction except for a set goal then naturally you'll begin to ask people for help. You'll build relationships.If not then you won't succeed. Amity is all about connecting with its members. That's what makes us self sufficient."  
"By relying on other people?" Sammie asked with her eyebrow raised. Teresa smiled excitedly.  
"Makes sense right?"  
We all gave each other sideways glances before looking through the racks again.  
"Also, Amity isn't very strict about dress code. As long as you don't wear colors that overpower the red." She explained. "Like blue, or white, or black."  
The statement was met with a silence. Almost as if the three of them were mourning the loss of the last thing they would have of their old faction. While a ghost of a smile appeared onto Robert's face as he grazed over shirts with his eyes.  
"Try some on." I said.  
Robert shook his head.  
"I'm good."  
"You're gonna be stuck with whatever you get for a while so you might as well get something that you like that fits."  
Robert let out a sigh then nodded going to change clothes.  
He came out wearing a flannel buttoned to the top with green pants.  
He looked...nice.  
Like he was cutting of circulation to his head, but other than that. He looked nice.  
"There's a mirror right behind you." I told him. He turned around slowly, looked at himself then at his feet. "What's wrong?"  
He didn't say anything a first then suddenly went back into the dressing room.  
"Robert?" I called after him.  
"I'm sorry. It's just that-" he let out a loud breath. "It's a lot to take in you know?" he paused and I could hear him shuffling to put back his other clothes. His plain clothes that were all the fame color. Because they were familiar. "We could only look at a mirror once every few months. And sometimes we wouldn't even do that at my house."  
"Why?"  
"Because that's selfless."  
I admire Abnegations.  
How they will hold the door for hours so no one else has to.  
How they make sure the factionless are fed and clothed each day.  
But I never heard of something so ridiculous.  
That you had to be so focused on others that you can't even know what your own face looks like in the morning. Like you weren't even worth that.  
When Robert came out he decided that he'd wait outside with Nick. I watched him as he walked again and wondered if as a Stiff Robert's mom taught him to make himself small. So people like me could feel tall.  
I wondered if because of that Robert would always feel less than the person next to him.  
If that's true, then everyone in that faction would feel that way.  
And that broke my heart.


	7. Chapter 7

"What's that smell?" I asked as soon as we entered the mess hall.  
"What smell?" Abby asked. I scrunched up my nose. It was like burnt wet grass.  
"You're joking right?" I said and let out a cough.  
"What are you whining about?" Nick asked.  
"It smells awful in here!"  
"You know that's rude right?!" Carter informed but I couldn't feel bad. Not with a smell that's that strong. Not with a smell that I could feel in my mouth.  
"Shut up! She isn't joking around."  
"Are you okay?" Robert asked me.  
I ran out of the building hoping to breath in some fresh air when I ran straight into some one.  
"Sorry.." I mumbled.  
"It's alright. Wait. Are you hurt?"  
The person I ran into was significantly older with remarkably dark skin and salt and pepper hair. I didn't answer. I can feel the smell going down into my stomach.  
"C'mon, sit down." He said touching my shoulder and guiding me towards the wall behind me. I moved away from his touch fast, a little faster than I should have giving myself a head ache.  
"I feel sick." I moaned. He went to touch my head and I moved away.  
"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you." He said chuckling slightly at me. I was a little more than annoyed by his lack of seriousness. "How do you feel?"  
"Like I ate too much but my stomach is growling."  
"Nauseous?"  
"Yeah."  
"Are you cold?"  
I nodded.  
"Did this just start?"  
I nodded again. He looked at me in wonderment like I was a challenging puzzle.  
"Joy?" Abby called out with a plate of food in her hands.  
"A friend of yours?"  
I gave a short nod before putting my head between my knees.  
"What's wrong?!" he asked quickly.  
"It's the smell again."  
"I bought you some bread. It's supposed to help you when you're sick. I know you must be hungry. It's really good too."  
"Sharp girl." The man noted. "Would you mind getting some water for her too?"  
Abby gave an eager nod before heading back inside.  
"It might just be the move." He told me. "It happens a lot with transfers. Their body reacts severely to so much change happening at once."  
I let out a breath before looking at the plate Abby left for me.  
"Hungry?" he asked chuckling again before handing it over. "Eat slowly."  
I nodded and put the slice into my mouth which felt as if I had swallowed cotton balls beforehand. It felt like I had to chew for an eternity before I could get the first bite down. Then as soon as I swallowed it I felt a tingle on the tip of my tongue and my stomach did a huge lurch. I stood up only to vomit onto the ground right beside where the man was standing.


End file.
